Seems like on this Friday the 13th I should start with some confessions. How that relates to the 13th? No idea. Just seems right. And who am I to question these things.

Confession #1: It was only this week that I admitted I truly love fruit. Oh, I know this site has existed for three years and I have hunted for unique fruit a long time before that. Nonetheless, I have preferred to live in a weird form of denial.
Confession #2: I think of myself as shy, though I have about 400 data points that say otherwise.
Confession #3: I can rattle off the nuances of fast food french fry differences as easily as I can tangerines. (Favorite: McDonald’s)
Confession #4: I laughed more at the movie Coneheads than any other movie in my life. (This does not mean I recommend it.)
Confession #5: I don’t like apricots. Not in the same way that I don’t like watermelon or salmon. Those foods are just ridiculous. But apricots…I keep trying…and trying. And they just aren’t good. It is so sad.

I mention this because I received a carton of Angelcot Apricots this week when I had the pleasure of visiting Frieda’s, a specialty produce company in the LA area that supplies grocers throughout the United States. Frieda is a legend in the produce world and opened up the industry just over 50 years ago. You can literally thank her personally for the fact that you have ever had a kiwi in the US. To my mind, she is one of the unsung heroes that paved the way for this whole generation of exotic and unusual food lovers. The company is now run by her daughters, though Frieda herself still pops in to the office on a daily basis.

One of their more recent offerings are these white apricots. I will admit they are the best apricots I have ever had, which while completely true, is almost the equivalent of “I don’t hate them.” However, if you like apricots and certainly if you cook with them (apricots absolutely TRANSFORM when you cook them), then you should seek these out. I understand they are at Trader Joe’s all over the country and the season is short!

Angelcot Apricots

APPEARANCE Rating:

Pretty oval fruit with pale yellow skin and an innocent peach blush. Light yellow flesh.

AROMA Rating:

Mildly sweet.

TEXTURE Rating:

Dense and smooth bite with a nice amount of juice. Tendency to get mealy in spots but not nearly the way most apricots do. Dry, velvety skin.

TASTE Rating:

Sweet, honey flavor with a little tart finish.

OVERALL Overall Rating:

Someone asked me the other day which fruit I thought would be God’s favorite. I had to reply with a smile ‘Angel’cots. Oh, I just crack myself up.

FRUIT Apricot	PEAK Summer	PROVIDED BY Frieda’s
VARIETY Angelcot	GROWN California